Democrat LaKesha Womack defeated Republican Rep. Tim Moore in North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District on Tuesday, flipping a seat Republicans had been expected to hold while facing a pending felony charge involving an overdue rental car. Unofficial results showed Womack winning 51.1% of the vote to Moore’s 48.9%, a margin of 6,415 votes.
The outcome marked a sharp reversal in a district Moore won decisively in 2024 and that analysts had rated as solidly or likely Republican. Womack, a financial consultant and business owner from the Charlotte area, prevailed despite a substantial fundraising disadvantage against the former North Carolina House speaker, who entered Congress in January 2025.
Womack raised roughly $56,000 to $59,000 for her first campaign, while Moore spent millions, according to reporting on the race. Strong support in Mecklenburg County precincts and gains in areas such as Gaston County helped her overcome that gap amid broader Democratic gains across North Carolina and the country.
Her victory came less than a month after she was served with a criminal summons during an October 11 campaign event in Polk County. Womack faces a charge of failing to return a hired motor vehicle, a Class H felony, and is scheduled to appear in Mecklenburg County District Court on November 10, according to the New York Post.
The case concerns a 2019 Toyota Corolla rented from Budget that authorities allege was not returned by its October 23, 2019, deadline. The vehicle was valued at about $20,000. A criminal summons issued in January 2020 was returned unserved before being reissued and served during the campaign.
Womack has acknowledged returning the vehicle late and said she and her son experienced homelessness and other personal difficulties during that period, leaving her without a stable address to receive notices. She has described the matter as unresolved and said she believes she owes money related to the rental, explained the News & Observer. The charge remains pending, and she has not been convicted.
Moore’s campaign highlighted the case during the closing weeks of the election, while Womack’s team challenged some of the related advertising as misleading. The dispute added a late controversy to a race in which Womack emphasized affordability, access to healthcare and direct contact with voters.
Womack is expected to take office when the new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027. Her victory remains unofficial pending the canvass, with her first scheduled court appearance coming one week after Election Day.
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